Method of mounting and automatically adjusting the lamps of motor road-vehicles.



,PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906. L. GIRARDOT.

METHOD OF MOUNTING AND AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING THE LAMPS 0F MOTOR ROAD VEHICLES.

. APPLICATION FILED 0013.14. 1904.

F'IG-3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I Leonor. GIRARDOT, OF-PUTEAUX, FRANCE METHOD O F MOUNTING AND AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING THE LAMPS F MOTOR ROAD-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Feb. 13,1906.

Application filed October 14, 1904- Strial No. 228,474.

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, LrioNon GInARDoT, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at 7 Rue Ampere, Puteaux, Seine, in the Republic of France, have invented new and useful. Improvements in Methods of Mountin and ing round a corner or traveling through a curve the beam or beams of light continue to be projected in the direction of the axis of the car and do not illuminate the sides of the curved ath along which the steering-wheels are guiding the vehicle. This fact causes great difficulty in negotiating turnings during darkness and may result in serious accidents.

The present invention consists in arranging the lamp or lam s on their supports 1n such a manner that t ey are movable and in connecting them othe steering-rodplaced between the two out wheels, so that when the direction of the-said wheels is changed the lam s move pivotally about their own axes and project their rays in the new direction assumed by the steering-wheels. By this means the track is illuminated while the car is traveling through curves, and the arrangement also allows of projecting the light of the lamps onto sign-posts or the ike at the sides of straight roads by turning the front wheels of the car without turning the latter.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustratin the effect of the arrangement when the car 1s about to travel round a corner. Fig. 2 illustrates the arrangement as applied to a single lamp placed in front of a motor-car and in the central longitudinal axis of the latter. Fig. 3 illustrates the arrangement in connection with lam s placed in front of the car at the sides of t e radiator; and Fig; 4 is a side view of a lam connected with a rod, by means of which 1t can be rotated.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the lamp 0, can, for instance, be mounted on a ball-bearing su ported by a plate 6, fixed to the cooling-jac et or the frame. The foot 0 of the lamp is connected, by means of rods (1 d, withthe steering-rod f, the latter being provided with two collars g, between which a ork h at the lower end of the vertical rod d I engages. When the direction of travelin is changed, the steering-rod f is laterally isplaced and acts by means or one of the collars g on the fork h, so that the lamp is'rotated by means of the rods cl d in the same direction as the steerin -wheels. A spring 1', connected at one on to the lamp and at the other end to a fixed part of the frame, prevents the lamp from oscillating under the ef- Y feet of the vibration of the car.

In the arrangement, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 each lamp a is'provided with a tubular downward projection j, inserted into a sleeve is, fixed to the fram'e,so that the lamp can rotate in the said sleeve with the aid of a ballbearing similarly to the steering-rod of a cycle in the frame-head. The lower endof each projection jis connected, by means of a short rod Z, with the steering-rod of the car. The bifurcated end of the rod between two collars, so that the lateral displacement of the said rods f for the purpose engages the, rod f of changing the direction of the car causes one of the oollarsto act. on the rod Z and to operate the latter in such a manner that the downward projection of the lamp is caused to rotate in its support.

It willbe understood that the forms of construction described are only given by way of example and that many other forms can be used without altering the principle of the in-, vention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim asnew, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device for automatically adjusting the lamps of motor cars in accordance with changes in the direction of traveling comprising incombination a rotary lam -support a ivotally mounted on a ball-bear1ng, a plate 2 supporting said ball-bearing and rigidly fixed to the cooling-jacket or the frame of the motor-car, a horizontal rod d attached by one end to the rotatory lamp-support c, a vertical rod (1' connected by one end to the free end of the horizontal rod d, provided at its other end with a fork h, and pivoted in an intermediate point to the cooling-jacket oi the name to this specification in the presence of frame of the motor-ear, two collars g 9 two subscribing Witnesses. mounted on the steering-rod f and adapted to engage with the forked end of the vertical CE GIRARDOT' 5 rod 61, and "a spring '1} connecting one end of Witnesses:

the lamp-support to a fixed part of the frame. I ANTOINE LAVOIX,

In testimony whereof I have signed my I v ARCIIIBALD R. BAKER. 

